Protected standing-valve puller



Filed August 23, 1926 RANDALL C.- Komv 7.1

P M :4TTORNE? Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANDALL C. MOKOWN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO AXELSON m- CHINE COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, .A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PROTECTED STANDING-VALVE FULLER.

Application filed August 23, 1926.

This invention relates to oil pumping equipment and particularly to an improved standing valve puller. In the oil producing industry it is common practice to remove oil from a well by means of a-reci rocating pump which is located near the ottom of a well. The barrel of the pump is attached to the lower end of a pumptubing which extends to the surface of the ground and through which oil is conducted to the top of the well. The plunger of the pump is free to move vertically in the barrel and a string of sucker rods extending through the pump tubing is attached to the upper part of the plunger. The string of sucker rods is reciprocated by means of a walking beam located in the derrick of the well. The pump plunger has a working valve which is closed during the up stroke of the plunger and is open during the down stroke of the plunger; and the barrel has a standing valve which is open during the up stroke of the plunger and closed during the down stroke thereof. It is advantageous to have the standing valve arranged so that it may be removed from the barrel by the pump plunger when the pump plunger is elevated to the surface of the ground.

It is an object of this invention to provide a standing valve puller whereby the standing valve may be elevated to the surface of the ground with the pump plunger.

The standing valve puller of the species of this invention has a hook member composed of a pair of hooks which engage a cross bar, the hook member being attached to the plunger or the standing valve and the cross bar being attached to the part to which the hook member is not attached. W'hen endeavoring to engage the cross bar in the hooks, the cross bar is not always in alignment so that it may freely enter the hooks and the result is that the hooks are contacted and there is a marked tendency to spread the hooks, thus placing strains therein which eventually result in crystallization and breakage.

It is one of the important objects of this invention to provide a standing valve puller in which the hooks of the hook member are protected from being spread by the cross bar or engager.

Serial No. 130,942.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be made evident in the following description. I

Referring to the drawing in which I illustrate a preferred form of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view partly sectioned of areciprocating pump employing the standing valve puller of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hook member.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2 taken as indicated by the arrow 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 10f the drawin the numeral 11 represents a pump barre and the numeral 12 represents a pump plunger. The lower end of the pump barrel 11 is provided with a lower collar 13-having a seat 14: in which a standing valve cage 15 is seated, the standing valve cage 15 having a ball valve 16. Extending upward from the upper part of the standing valve 15 is a stem 18 having a cross bar or engager 19.

The lower end of the plunger 12 is provided with a hook member 21 embodying the features of this invention. Referring to Fig. 2, the hook member 21 has an upper threaded projection 22, by means of which it is secured to the lower part of the plunger 12. A body 23 of the hook member 21 is provided with a cylindrical opening 24 and is divided into two parts by a diametral channel 25 so as to provide a pair of books 26. The hooks 26 have rigid arms 28 which extend downward from the upper end of the body 23 and resilient upward extendin arms 29 which are connected to the rigi arms 28 near the lower ends thereof. Formed between the rigid and resilient arms 28 and 29 are slots 30. The upper ends of the slots 30 are connected to the upper end of the diametral channel 25 by entrance 32 which are bounded by the upper ends of the resilient arms '29 and by diagonal faces 33 of the body 23. The upper ends of the resilient arms 29 have en argements or constricting portions 35 which project inward into the upper ends of the slots 30 so as to constrict them, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Surrounding the body 23 of the hook mem- I her 21 is a protector in the form of a jacket or sleeve 38. The internal face of the sleeve 38 is adapted to snugly engage the external faces of the body 23. This is true wit-h the exception of the resilient arms 29. As shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the outer faces 40' of the resilient a ms 29 are countersunk or formed on a diameter which is less than the diameter'of'th'c other parts of the body 23.

The reason for relieving the outer faces of the resilient arms 29 is to permit it being swung from the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3 into p'ositionsindicated by dotted lines 41 in Fig. 2 and 42. in Fig. 3. The'sleevef38 may be secured in place in any suitable manner as by welding, as indicated at 14;. in Fig. 2.

The operation of the invention is substantially as follows:

W hen the standing valve is to he removed to the surface of the ground with the plunger, the lifter or hook member 21 is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 1 until the cross bar or engager 19 is moved upward in the diametral channel 25 to a position near the upper end'thereof. The plunger and the lifter 21 are then rotated relative to the engager or cross bar 19 and are slightly raised at the same time. The cross bar 19' moves into the entrances 32 of the hooks 26andis guided into the upper ends of'the" slots 80 by means of the diagonal faces 33. The plunger and hook member 21 are'th enf elevated so that the cross bar 19 moves into th lower parts of the slots 80, asindicatedby dotted lines f? in Fig. 2. The diameter of'the cross bar 19 is substanmay the same as the width of the slots30. In order for the cross bar 19 to reach the lower ends of theslots 30, it is necessary for them to pass the enlargements 85 of'the resilient arms 29. As the cross bar is lowered, the enlargements 85 are engaged and theresilient arms 29 are sprung from normalpositions into dotted line positions 41 and42 of Figs. 2 and 3; thus the cross bar isfp'ermitted to enter the slots 30. The resllient arms29 immediately return to normal position when the cross bar is passed there Itwill'be seen that it is necessary to relieve the outer faces of the resilient arms 29 so that they may be sprung out of nor malposition to permit the cross bar 19 to enter the slots 30. The enlargements 35 are providd for the purpose of preventing an accidental tin-hooking of the standing valve from the plunger. The resilient arms 29' have suflicient strength to require an appreciable force in order to spring them out of normalposition and allow the cross bar 19 topass thereby.

As previously mentioned, when the lift member or hook member 21 is lowered to en-' gage the cross bar 19, the diametral slot is not always in-alignment with the cross bar 19. In order to guide the cross bar 19 into the diametral slot, th lower parts of the hooks 26 adjacent to the diametral slot 25 are provided with diagonal guide faces 50.

When the plunger is lowered and the diametral slot and the cross bar 19' are not in alignment, the cross bar 19 will engage the diagonal face 50, rotating the hook-inember and the plunger 12' until alignmentisobtained. In Fig. 4 I show a bottom plan view of the invention with the cross bar 19 out of alignment with the diametral slot 25 and engaging the guide faces 50. It will be seen. thatthe. crossbar 19 tendsto spring the hooks: 26 in directions substantially at. right angles to the guidefaces 50. There. is considerable friction on the plunger. and therefore a considerable force must heapplied in order to rotateit: This resultsv in a noticeable springingof the hooks 2 6 from normal position, which in'time would result in crystallization and breakage.

Th sleeve 38 is designed to entirelyelimi nate a springing of the hook members 26 from normalposition. Any outward forces. applied to the hook'members. 26 istrans ferred directly to the sleeve 38which adequately reinforces themand preventsspring ing. The protecting sleeve 38 is an. important part of the invention. The sleeve 38 is representative of a means for preventing the spreading or twisting. offthe hooks, which means may of course be made indifferent manners. I therefore donotwish; tolimitmy invention to the specific showing in; the drawings, butwish it to be broadly in terpreted in the following claims.

I'claim as my invention: 7

1.' In combination: a pump barrel, a standing valve unit supported by said pump barrel; a plunger unit operablein said bars rel; an engager attached to one of said units; a lifter attach'ed'to the other of said units, said lifter being arranged for engagement by said engager; and'a protector for pre venting a spreading of saidlifter.

2. In combination: a pump barrel; a standing valve unit supported 'by sai d p ump barrel; aplunger unit operable in said barrel; an engager attached to one ofsaid 'units; a lifter attached to the other of said units, said lifter being arranged for engagement by said engager, saidlifter having a'pair of hooks; and a protector for preventingv a. spreading of said hooks.

3. In combination: a pump barrel; a standing valve unit supportedby saidpump barrel; a plunger unit operable in said b a-rrel; an engager attached to one of said units; a lifter attached to the other ofsaid' units said lifter being arranged for engagement by said engager, said lifter havinga pair of hooks; and a protector in the form of a sleeve surrounding said hooks for pre- 4. In combination: a pump barrel; a hooks; and a protector in the form of a standing valve unit supported by said (pump sleeve surrounding and engaging said hooks barrel; a plunger unit operable in sai barfor preventing a spreading of said hooks. l rel; an engager attached to one of said units; In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 5 a lifter attached to the other of said units, my hand at Los Angeles, California, this said lifter being arranged for engagement 17th day of August, 1926.

by said engager, said lifter having a pair of RANDALL C. MGKOWN. 

